News Letter

To All Parishioners and Friends of St Patrick Parish.
July 20, 2000 - "Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen."
Hebrews 11: 1-2

To All Parishioners and Friends of St. Patrick Parish,

We are sure by now most of you are aware that Judge John Franke dismissed our civil lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Milwaukee on July 10, 2000. The
judge spoke of the difficulty of making this determination, as there wasn't a single previous Wisconsin case on which to base his decision. In the end he cited a case from California in making his ruling. So what does this mean
for further civil action? Presently, we have a corporate law attorney studying the judge's decision, and we will have 45 days to decide whether to file an appeal.

Although we were all praying for a different outcome, please do not be disheartened. As the old saying goes, "When God closes a door . . . "

We are pleased to report that on May 2, 2000, an appeal against the closing of St. Patrick Parish was filed at the Vatican. American Canon Lawyer Alan R. Kershaw is handling our case, and he is one of only a few Americans
authorized to appear before the Vatican courts. We will forever be indebted to Lori Mitchell from St. Leo's in Columbus, Ohio for her assistance in securing Alan's help on our behalf.

Also in May, a second request was forwarded to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee requesting "Landmark" status for our beautiful, historic 145-year old St. Patrick Church. We are sure many of you will remember an initial request was made in 1998, with the archdiocese refusing this request due to a monetary concern. However, after St. Patrick Church was named to the Wisconsin Trust
for Historic Preservation's list of the 10 most endangered properties in Wisconsin in March, Archbishop Weakland gave assurances that an endowment fund (St. Patrick Parish savings account) had been established for its
upkeep. Unfortunately, as of this writing there has been no reply from the archdiocese on this matter. Those interested in voicing their approval for this most worthy honor may write to: Archbishop Rembert Weakland, Cousin's Catholic Center, 3501 S. Lake Drive, P.O. Box 07912, Milwaukee, WI 53207-0912.

The end of June brought more good news with the filing of St. Patrick Preservation Fund, Inc. as a not-for-profit corporation. This means that donations now made to the St. Patrick Preservation Fund will be tax deductible just as your church donations. You may send your tax-deductible
contribution to: St. Patrick Preservation Fund, Inc. c/o Mrs. Joan Coffey, 1480 Highway 83, Hartford, WI 53027.

We hope all of you had an opportunity to read the beautiful article about our 142-year old (still in existence) St. Patrick's Ladies Altar Society in the Daily News and Times Press. If you would like copies of this article, you may contact Nancy Henke at 262/673-5219. We would also like to thank the Erin Fest Committee, who allowed us to sell our "Save St. Patrick" T-shirts at the festival for a net profit of over $200! If you are in need of a T-shirt for your favorite "loved one" contact Vivian at 262/673-3507.

There will be a Rosary Service on the steps of St. Joseph's Church in Cudahy (4970 S. Swift) on Tuesday, August 1, at 7 p.m., where we will pray for the reopening of all viable parishes throughout the U.S. and also for an end to
abortion, especially partial-birth abortion. Those interested in attending but in need of a ride or directions, may contact Maureen at 262/670-0975. We hope to see many of you there!
PLEASE ALSO JOIN US ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, AT 6:30 P.M. FOR A SPECIAL MASS AT ST. PATRICK CHURCH. As there are only five special Masses scheduled for the next 12 months, it would be great to see as many of you there as possible as we gather as a faith community.

We thank you for your past and continued support through prayers, letters and donations. "Save St. Patrick Parish" meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Erin Town Hall, 1846 State Highway 83. Starting in September we will begin work on our 150th Anniversary Book of St. Patrick Parish (just five short years away!) Refreshments follow the meeting. All are welcome so come join us as we work to make a difference.

"Save St. Patrick Parish" Preservation Committee